Katie hates our truck.  So it’s been a tough week for her because our SUV, the one with her comfy crate in the back, has been at the shop getting fixed.  That means that any far away adventures she and I might want to experience requires using the truck!  The big blue scary truck!  Her general reaction when presented with the open truck door is to run the other way, pull frantically on her leash and if possible paw at the front door trying to get back inside the safety of her home.  We don’t understand why.  But then there are so many of her sheltie-isms that we don’t understand.

So this week’s training challenge was to get her less afraid of the truck.  And of course to continue to work on the lunging at cars thing.  Because last week’s work sure didn’t translate to her behavior here at home.  At all.

All week, whenever she and I went anywhere we used the truck.  To the park?  Great!  Get in the truck!  See?  Not so scary!  Go for a ride?  Sure!  Get in the truck!  See?  That was fun!  Go get nails trimmed at the groomer?  Get in the truck.  Uh oh.  Big mistake on mama’s part.  She hates the groomer and shook the entire ride.   How does she know she’s not going to the park or the pet store?  I have no idea.  Must be sheltie-vision or something.

All in all though she’s getting over most of her fear of the truck.  A couple evenings ago when I asked her if she wanted to go to the park she ran out the front door and stood expectantly beside the truck.  GOOD GIRL!  And yesterday as we were going out to do her job we walked by the truck and she stopped, looked at the truck door, then at me like -HEY MOM!  Can we go go to the PARK?

So later in the day she and I headed out on another adventure in the big blue truck.  We had to head toward town and get some gas first, which is in the opposite direction from our usual route to the park.  Katie looked at me and was obviously trying to telepathically inform  me that I was going the wrong way.  And that it worried her, because the groomer is on this route, don’t you know.

She did really well at the gas station.  I was worried because it was hot and even though the windows were open I didn’t want her in there too long without the air.  So I fumbled through the transaction, taking longer than normal because I had to keep checking on her.

As soon as I turned on the car she enjoyed the air conditioning!

Then since we were halfway to town I took her the rest of the way in, figuring we could walk on some neighborhood sidewalks where we’ve never been before and work on that lunging at cars problem.

I parked a block off main street and headed toward the residential district.  I totally forgot that this street was a cut through for traffic.  It was nonstop cars.  And several motorcycles.  And quite a few trucks…some pulling giant boats.  NOISY!  Every time there would be a string of cars I asked Katie to sit.  I kept telling her to stay, stay…and when she sat through the whole line she’d get her cheese.  I think I was more freaked out than she was.  There was WAY TOO MUCH TRAFFIC for me!  And it was way too close.  She did really well  but obviously I need more training.

We only went about two blocks, mostly because I forgot to bring a poopy bag with me, and these houses all had beautiful green manicured lawns.  I just KNEW if we went very far I’d have an embarrassing situation on my hands.  So to speak.  We walked back to the car, got a drink and headed out to our nice peaceful park.  She did some heeling work and long sits and downs like an expert.  I’ve got her (and me too I guess!) signed up for a Rally trial Sept 12.

I need more practice.